


Chasing the Starlight

by nausicaa82



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, New School, Track and Field, preserum!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-05
Updated: 2014-05-05
Packaged: 2018-01-22 01:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1570157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa82/pseuds/nausicaa82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor's life is thrown for a loop when midway through his senior year, his family relocates. Just when he thinks his life is ruined, things suddenly take a turn for the better. </p><p>For the Thundershield 2014 Fan Work Exchange</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chasing the Starlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ankalin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ankalin/gifts).



Thor ran as fast as his tired legs could go towards the bus stop. He had to catch the late bus back or would be doomed to walking all the way home in the cold-- a perfectly terrible way to end this terrible day.

Moving to a new town, having to change schools right before track season, half way through his senior year seemed like his father's cruelest action yet. He had begged to stay back and live with Fandral's, or Hogan's, or even Volstagg's family, but Odin would hear nothing of it. The way his first day had gone, Thor wished he had pushed a little harder. Nothing made sense about how the school operated. Everybody had inside jokes and seemed to already know the lessons being studied; each class was an exercise in confusion. Without his childhood friends, even Thor's beloved lunch period was difficult; he had no idea where to sit. He was nothing here.

All of the glory and achievements of the past years remained at Asgard High, and Thor could only get on the track team here as a junior varsity member. Even that was only because of his mother's doing-- her campaigning the coach the moment after the house was bought the previous fall. Father only paid attention when Thor was winning, but Mother worked relentlessly to make sure he and his brother would win in whatever they pursued. She was the one who lead the Asgard Booster Club to raise funds for new equipment and uniforms, and she was the one who hired tutors to keep his grades up so he was eligible. She attended every meet and loved him even when he didn't jump the highest, or run the fastest, or the rare time his hammer wasn't the farthest thrown.

The after school practice was different here as well; the track athletes didn't have to put away the equipment themselves, the student managers took care of everything. Thor hadn't realized as he helped wipe down the benches and missed his chance to shower or even change after he had worked out with the weights. No one on the team seemed to like him and mocked he should get used to just being a manager. In less than eight hours, Thor seemed to be pegged to be a dumb jock who wouldn't even get a chance to compete.

He rounded the corner and saw the bus still there, the door still open, but didn't dare slow down until reached the first step and came to a dead stop. Most of the benches were already full, some even had three students scrunched together. One boy who Thor remembered from his Calculus class that morning was busy typing on his phone while sandwiched between a red haired girl and a face he could put a name with. Thor had sat next to Rhodey in history, and had to borrow a blue pen from him when he found out the teacher would not accept work in any other color. There were a few other vaguely familiar faces, but he hadn't really spoken to anyone else that day. More over, when Thor approached a bench that had a spot, his broad shoulders made larger by his winter coat, and gym bag were too much to fit. Half way to the back of the bus, he spotted his brother who had stayed late for the drama club. Loki saw him, too, and immediately pulled the boy sitting across the aisle over towards him.

"Hey!" the boy protested.

"I am Loki, and you now sit next to me..." Loki gestured at the boy's chest.

"Clint," he replied looking incredulously between the two brothers. Loki may have been speaking to him, but he was directing it to Thor. 

"Yes, Clint, my new friend;" Loki smirked.

"Everybody needs to sit down!" the bus driver announced, and Thor felt a bit of panic. Then a small hand popped up over the seats at the very back and waved.

"You can sit with me."

Thor quickly walked to the very back of the bus where a small boy smiled up at him. He had a smudge of charcoal on his cheek and eyes that shined like the stars. When Thor sat down, the boy immediately stuck out his hand for a firm handshake.

"Steve Rogers, pleasure to meet you."

"Thor Odinsonn, and the pleasure's all mine." The bus lurched forward, and Thor relaxed his aching muscles and pretended to look out the window at the scenery. In reality he was looking at his seat mate. Like everyone on the bus not Thor, Steve was in the school's uniform of khakis and a dark navy sweater over his polo, but his jacket was notably thinner, and he didn't have any gloves. It was less than a minute that the smaller boy struck up a conversation, eying Thor's workout pants.

"What club are you with that brings you to the late bus?"

"I am involved with the track team," Thor answered truthfully. "And you?"

"President of the art club. I need to beef up my portfolio for college applications next year, so I'm trying to work on my fundamentals."

"You're a junior?"

"Well, I had some difficulty last year, and I'm repeating some classes," Steve looked away as a slight blush colored his face.

"This school is very different from where I'm from. I think I'm going to have some difficulty myself." Steve turned back to him.

"I could help you if you would like. I do well in classes. I'm not dumb; I just missed too many days because of an illness. Not that I think you're dumb. You have an advanced physics book in your bag there. I'm sure once you get the hang of it here, you'll be doing great!" Even though they were sitting rather snugly in the bench, it took Thor the two stops of Steve's rambling to notice that his hands were shaking.

"You alright?" he asked in a low whisper.

"I'm not very good at talking with gorgeous people," Steve replied, and immediately looked like he wanted to jump out the window. Thor cocked his head to the side with an evil grin on his face.

"You think I'm gorgeous?"

"You may have inferred that because, that, um" Steve paused more than what was really acceptable between each word. "That was what I was implying."

"Well, thank you, but you don't need to tremble about it. You're very cute."

"Tremble?" Steve asked.

"Your hands and..." Thor trailed off as he realized Steve was actually shivering. Without hesitation, he unwrapped the scarlet scarf from his own neck and looped it around Steve's. "Sorry if it's a bit smelly. I didn't have a chance to shower after my workout."

"Thank you," Steve's slender fingers touched at the soft wool Thor's mother had knitted for him. "You think I'm cute?"

"I may have implied that."

"I don't think you implied. I think you just came right out and said it." The two chuckled as the last bit of awkward tension between them was broken. They talked more of which classes they were in, but far too soon, it was Thor's stop. He grabbed for his bags, and stood up.

"Tomorrow, then?" he asked, already planning to try to find Steve on Facebook that night.

"I don't think anyone's going to be fighting you for this seat."

"Well, then it's clear this is nothing but a bus of fools," Thor replied and joined his brother for the short walk to their house.

"Why are you so happy?" Loki questioned as they braced themselves from the northern wind.

"I just had a good day, that's all."

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from MUSE's "Starlight." It's a band I listen to a lot when I write Thundershield.


End file.
